Since 1980, Icehouse has released seven albums, several compilations, and music from collaborations with other artists including dance companies. Their 1987 album 'Man of Colours' was released at the apex of their fame and international success. It is considered by many to be the band's magnum opus.
As 'Flowers', Icehouse built up a strong following as a live act around Sydney, Australia, noted for their distinctive cover versions of songs by a wide range of acts including T-Rex and Brian Eno. After signing to the independent Regular Festival Records label, they released their debut single, "Can't Help Myself", which hit the Australian Top 10 in June 1980. This was followed by their first album 'Icehouse', which also made the Top 10 and became one of year's biggest selling albums in Australia. The album made use of synthesisers, especially the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5.
Further singles "We Can Get Together" and "Walls" both hit the Top 20. A European single from this album, "Icehouse", created some interest in the U.K., partly because of a memorable music video. Sensing the possibility of international success, the band decided to change their name in early 1981 to avoid confusion with Scottish group The Flowers. As Icehouse, they spent most of 1981 touring the UK, Canada and US, where "We Can Get Together" hit #62. A single release, "Love In Motion", recorded by Davies alone but the first to be credited to the band's new name, duly hit the Australian Top 10 in November 1981.
In January 1982, the band's original line up split, resulting in Davies recording Icehouse's much-anticipated second album, 'Primitive Man', on his own, with assistance from Keith Forsey, who later worked with Simple Minds. Released in August 1982, Primitive Man was another huge Australian hit and became Icehouse's international breakthrough. The hit single "Hey Little Girl" reached the UK Top 20 and has remained their most regularly played song. Another strong track from this album was "Great Southern Land", which made the Australian Top 5 and was later featured in the late 1980s film 'Young Einstein'.
In 1985, Davies' musical standing was further enhanced when he was commissioned to compose and record the score for the acclaimed Sydney Dance Company production of Graeme Murphy's dance work 'Boxes'. Icehouse's third album, 'Sidewalk', was far more sombre and reflective, featuring the tracks "I Don't Believe Anymore" and "Someone Like You". After this album the band made further inroads into the U.S. market with their 1986 release 'Measure for Measure', which featured none other than Brian Eno as a listed band member.
Icehouse's next work, 'Man of Colours', was their best-selling album. It contained the hit singles "Crazy" and "Electric Blue" (a song co-written by John Oates from the band Hall and Oates). Both singles reached the US Top 20, with "Electric Blue" hitting the #7 slot. With this album, the band reached an international zenith, never surpassing this level of popularity and exposure again.
In 1995, Davies was again involved with the Sydney Dance Company's production of Berlin. The musical score is a collection of cover versions of songs by David Bowie, Brian Eno, Simple Minds, The Psychedelic Furs, Frank Sinatra, Lou Reed, Roxy Music, XTC, Talking Heads, The Velvet Underground, PiL, The Cure and Killing Joke, which saw him collaborating with pianist Max Lambert in the development of the music.
As well as recording the score to the ballet, Davies performed these songs live with Icehouse at each show. He was an intrinsic part of the ballet, in a role similar to the one in Boxes. Iva was extremely successful in creating a translation from the dancers to the audience. Berlin was an instant success and ran for two seasons. Both shows were the most commercially successful that The Sydney Dance Company have had to date.
On 16 August 2006, Icehouse were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame along side acts such as Midnight Oil, Divinyls and Rose Tattoo. Also in 2006, Icehouse featured prominently on the Triple M Essential 2006 Countdown with 14 songs selected including:
*"Man Of Colours"
*"Electric Blue"
*"We Can Get Together"
*"Don't Believe Any More"
*"Great Southern Land" (which came in at number 12)
Miracle Mile
Icehouse Lyrics
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Was Saturday night
The spell is broken, crowd has gone
Left out on the street
But who is going to be the one
To put the pieces back again
And who is there to see the faces
Of the ones they left behind
Heaven is a long, long way from here
On the Miracle Mile
They bury their crosses on the hill
On the Miracle Mile
With her back against the wall
And the room turning around
She does the deal and feels no pain
...and never comes down
But who is going to be the one
To put the pieces back again
And who is there to see the faces
Of the ones they left behind
Heaven is a long, long way from here
On the Miracle Mile
They make their way, they stand or fall
On the Miracle Mile
There is only one way out of here
On the Miracle Mile
They bury their crosses on the hill
On the Miracle Mile
But tonight the lights are shining down
And no-one knows the way it feels
Oh, yeah, when tomorrow is so far away
Dream on and on yeah you`d better dream on
Heaven is a long, long way from here
On the Miracle Mile
They make their way, they stand or fall
On the Miracle Mile
There is only one way out of here
On the Miracle Mile
They bury their crosses on the hill
On the Miracle Mile
The lyrics to Icehouse's song Miracle Mile are about the aftermath of a Saturday night out. The singer describes a deserted street with the crowd gone, leaving behind broken pieces and faces of the people they left behind. Heaven is far away from this place, referred to as the Miracle Mile, where people bury their crosses on the hill. The lyrics suggest that people come to this place to forget their troubles and to escape reality. The singer describes a woman who does a deal and feels no pain, never coming down from the high, suggesting drug use.
Despite the darkness in the lyrics, the chorus hints at hope. The lights shine down, and there's a dreamlike quality to the night, with tomorrow so far away. The people on the Miracle Mile stand or fall, and while there's only one way out, they bury their crosses on the hill, suggesting a sort of resurrection or rebirth. The lyrics are open to interpretation and can be seen as a commentary on escapism, addiction, and the search for redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
Between the neon and the dawn
In the time between the bright lights and the early morning
Was Saturday night
It was the night of the week meant for excitement
The spell is broken, crowd has gone
The magic of the night has ended, and the people have dispersed.
Left out on the street
Abandoned and alone in the public square
But who is going to be the one
However, the question arises, who will be the person
To put the pieces back again
to repair the damage that has been done.
And who is there to see the faces
Who is present to witness the expressions
Of the ones they left behind
Of those who were abandoned
Heaven is a long, long way from here
Paradise is at a great distance from where we are
On the Miracle Mile
On this road of wonders
They bury their crosses on the hill
They carry their burdens to the summit
On the Miracle Mile
On this fantastic path
With her back against the wall
when she had nowhere left to run
And the room turning around
And the walls seem to be spinning
She does the deal and feels no pain
But she proceeds with her plans without any remorse
...and never comes down
And she never faces reality.
But who is going to be the one
But who is the one who will do the heavy lifting
To put the pieces back again
to put everything together again.
And who is there to see the faces
And who is there to look at the expressions
Of the ones they left behind
Of those who were abandoned
Heaven is a long, long way from here
Paradise is at a considerable distance from this place
On the Miracle Mile
On this road of marvels
They make their way, they stand or fall
They move along this path, whether they succeed or fail
On the Miracle Mile
On this fantastic path
There is only one way out of here
There is just one exit out of this location
On the Miracle Mile
On this fantastic path
They bury their crosses on the hill
They bear their burdens to the mountain peak
On the Miracle Mile
On this fantastic path
But tonight the lights are shining down
But this evening, the lights beam onto the earth
And no-one knows the way it feels
And nobody can comprehend the sentiments it conveys
Oh, yeah, when tomorrow is so far away
Oh yes, when tomorrow is so remote
Dream on and on yeah you'd better dream on
Keep on dreaming, yes, it is preferable to keep dreaming
Heaven is a long, long way from here
Paradise is distant from this place
On the Miracle Mile
On this marvelous path
They make their way, they stand or fall
They move along this path, whether they succeed or fail
On the Miracle Mile
On this path of wonders
There is only one way out of here
There is just one exit out of this location
On the Miracle Mile
On this marvelous path
They bury their crosses on the hill
They carry their burdens to the mountain peak
On the Miracle Mile
On this path of marvels
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: IVOR ARTHUR DAVIES, ROBERT GRANT KRETSCHMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind